Let me start by saying that I have never piped anything but a simple bottom border and some semi-ok text. My SIL asked me to make the attached cake (done by cc user xinue) for my nephew's first communion this Sunday.

Does anyone have any tips for a cornelli lace virgin? I just practiced on some pans with some leftover RI that I had. It looks ok I guess, just not great.

Is RI the best to use or should I use BC? I tried it using a #2 tip and on another pan using a #3. I think the #2 looked better, but what do you all use?

Thank you for any hints you can give me!!

Kristin

I am by no means good at it, but I took classes from a lady who was. She said to thin the icing with some corn syrup, use tip 1 or 2, depending on the look you want. Then hold your bag straight up and down, about an inch above the cake, letting the design fall. Don't worry about the pattern, just keep moving and be careful not to touch or overlap any lines. Sorry I can't be more help than that!

Tip #1 or 2 is a good choice. Thinner icing is a must. Lines never cross and no pattern but a series of s's and r's.

Good luck!

Thank you for the tips. I think I was dragging the icing more than I was dropping it. That made a few rough looking patches. I guess I just need to keep practicing! I have a little more extra icing I can use.

So is there a preference of RI or BC? The RI dried so beautifully on my practice cake - no bubbles or anything that I get sometimes with BC. The only think I'm worried about is the crunch when you bite into the cake!!

Thank you!

I always use buttercream. Thin it with piping gel - doesn't take much - maybe a teaspoon mixed into 1/2 cup icing.
Then - strain it. Use a *clean* knee hi stocking; put it on your hand like a glove; fill your palm w/icing and peel the stocking off as you turn it inside out so the icing is in the stocking. Now push it thru the hose.
I always use tip 2. Tip 1 clogs too easily - even w/strained icing

Thank you for the tips! I can't wait to try this again this weekend. I think I'm getting the hang of it, now that I practiced again. The first time it just looked like messy squiggles and now the third time it looks pretty good! Thank you all!!!

I'm with kakeladi ... I use BC for everything. Really thinned.

It's real easy to do this pattern and end up with "squiggly stripes" ..... lace that tends to be in lines rather than random. Look at the photo you attached, pick a strand of lace and follow it ... notice how it weaves itself WAY over the right and then works it's way back to the left. To me, that was the hardest part ..... "trying" to be random.

Not sure if I got the totally random effect, but here is how my take on cornelli lace came out! I wanted to pipe the border thicker than the lace, but doing this at 11 pm the night before the party, I was halfway through the lace when I realized I hadn't changed tips!! Oh well...I think I'm the only one that it bothered. Thanks for your advice ladies!

O.k. Yes, it would have looked nicer if you had used a smaller tip but you did a nice job on it. Overall the cake is very, very pretty

O.k. Yes, it would have looked nicer if you had used a smaller tip but you did a nice job on it. Overall the cake is very, very pretty

That's perfect it looks great